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Your View: Letters to the editor (Nov. 15)

Posted:
11/15/2012 01:00:00 AM MST

Severe weather

It is with great sadness that the United States is once again feeling the wrath of a hurricane, this time being Sandy. I believe the people being affected are doing the right thing and really the only thing that can be done when severe weather strikes and that's to stay out of the way.

Folks, please pray for those people that are under Sandy's wrath because this is not the first time our nation has seen savage hurricanes and unfortunately it will not be the last as long as Mother Nature is in control. We certainly cannot forget the savagery of Hurricane Andrew from 1992 despite "him" missing New Orleans; or Katrina in 2005 that did manage to find Louisiana. We certainly cannot forget that severe weather also comes in the form of tornadoes and just last year; the 1974 "Super Outbreak" in addition to an outbreak that occurred in the spring of 1936 was offset by the April 2011 outbreak and has been considered the costliest since the single, most destructive Tri-State tornado from 03/18/1925 which hit Missouri, Illinois and Indiana traveling just under the posted distance between Las Cruces and Albuquerque. That is 226 miles!

Finally, as long as the conditions are set for severe weather, all we can do is get out of the way and help those affected in any way we can.

M. BRUCE ANDERSON

Las Cruces

Zoning hearing

On Oct.

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18, I and some of my neighbors, attended a public hearing by the Las Cruces Extra-territorial Zoning Commission. The purpose was to consider a request by Doña Ana Sand and Gravel to change zoning designation on a 37 acre site next to the Farm and Ranch Museum and the new Centennial High School - cut in half by Dripping Springs Road.

In 2005, this land was deeded to private ownership from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The requested zoning change would allow commercial development for the property on the south side of the road - just below "A" mountain; and allow the building of structures that support the continued operation of the sand & gravel operation on the north side of the road.

Several people affected by the proposed zoning change sent letters in opposition and 10 gave testimony at the hearing, also opposing the zoning change. Interestingly, only one person testified in favor of the zoning change, representing both the First Evangelical Free Church (which owns a nearby property) and the Elephant Butte Irrigation District. Those in opposition to the zoning change said this area is no longer an isolated outpost, as was the case when the sand and gravel operation begin in 1940, but has major residential neighborhoods nearby, plus a new high school, the Farm & Ranch Museum and the annual pilgrimage of Tortugas Mountain. Each of these neighbors gave testimony in opposition because of noise and dust from the sand and gravel operation, negative impact of fast food eateries, spoiling of the desert ecology/recreational/religious experience of Tortugas Mountain., etc.

After listening to all the testimony, the ETZ commissioners discussed the options and voted to approve the zoning change. It was obvious that commissioners had decided the outcome before the hearing began.

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